Tortellini in a three meat sauce

Tortellini In A Three Meat Sauce

The worst thing I can do after work is to stop in the grocery to pick up something for dinner when I’m hungry. Let’s just say that I buy more than I need for dinner. 

One day a while back was an example. I needed some canned tomatoes to make a pasta. Next thing I know, I’m buying ground beef, ground pork and ground veal. Oh yes, those mushrooms look good. Look, they have cheese filled tortellini, have to get that too. Before I know it I’m in the parking lot with two filled grocery bags. I need to be supervised.

Well, this is the meal I made that night. Yes, one type of meat would have been sufficient, but they all looked so good. In fact, the sauce was good too. After dinner I was stuffed and had just enough left over sauce to make a three meat pizza the next night. 

Olive oil

3/4 lb. ground beef

3/4 lb. ground pork

3/4 lb. ground veal

5 cloves of garlic, smashed and minced

Salt and fresh ground black pepper

1/4 lb. sliced mushrooms

1 cup white wine (or chicken broth)

Ground chipolte 

1/2 tsp. basil

1/2 tsp. Marjoram

1 28 oz. can of Italian tomatoes

1 tsp. Louisiana hot sauce

10 oz. cheese filled tortellini

Preparation

Heat a large skillet and add just enough olive oil to coat the bottom. Add the ground meat and break up. Allow it to cook until it looses half the pink color. Add the garlic and mushrooms, stir and continue to cook until the meat is cooked through. While it is cooking add a good sprinkle of ground chipolte, the marjoram, basil, a sprinkle of salt and lots of black pepper.

Add in the white wine (or chicken broth) and bring it to a boil. Let it simmer, uncovered, stirring often, until most of the liquid has been cooked off. Add the canned tomatoes and break the tomatoes up with a knife and fork. Add the Louisiana hot sauce and stir. Simmer, uncovered for twenty minutes to allow it to thicken. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper. Set aside while you cook the tortellini.

Serving

This meat sauce goes good with cheese filled tortellini, but will also work with flower shaped Campanelle pasta. Either way, you want to smother the pasta with lots of sauce. Have lots of grated parmesan cheese and hot sauce available. Now add a salad and homemade bread. Open a bottle of Italian red wine and you are set to dine.